Learn the Sicilian Dragon

B70-B79 · a repertoire for black · 4 chapters · 62 annotated lines

"Fire on the board"

The Sicilian Dragon is one of the most exciting and combative openings in chess. Black fianchettoes the bishop to g7 — the legendary 'Dragon bishop' — creating a dominant long-range piece that controls the entire a1-h8 diagonal. The resulting positions are full of fire: Black launches a queenside counterattack with ...Qa5 and ...Rb8 while White storms the kingside with h4-h5-h6. Whoever strikes first wins.

What's inside

• Chapter 1: The Sicilian Dragon
  Lines: The Dragon — Setup and Strategy
• Chapter 2: Beating the Yugoslav Attack
  Lines: 9.Bc4: The Qa5 Attack & Rxc3 Sacrifice, 9.O-O-O: The ...d5 Central Break, 9.g4: The Yugoslav Pawn Storm, 9.Bc4: 12.Kb1 and the ...Nxh5 Resource, 9.Bc4: 13.h5 — Storm at Full Speed, 9.O-O-O d5 10.Qe1: The Modern Try, 9.O-O-O d5: The 12.Nxd5 Pawn Grab, 9.g4 with 10.O-O-O: Trading into Comfort, 9.Bc4 with 10.Bb3: The ...Nxd4 and ...b5 Gambit Plan, 9.Bc4 with 10.h4: Storm Before Castling, 11.Kb1 First: One Recipe, Every Order, 9.g4 Be6 — 10.h4: The Double Storm, Met by ...d5, 9.O-O-O d5 — 12.Bh6: Trading the Dragon Bishop, 9.O-O-O d5 — 11.Kb1: The Prophylactic Try, 9.Bc4 Qa5 — 14.Bh6: The Sacrifice by a Different Door
• Chapter 3: White's Alternatives
  Lines: 6.Be2 Classical — Solid and Safe, 6.g3: The Fianchetto Variation, 6.Bc4: The Sozin-Style Setup, 6.Bc4 with 7.Bb3: Back to the Yugoslav, The 7.Qd2? Ng4! Trap, Levenfish: The Proper 6...Nc6! Antidote, 6.Be2 with 9.h3: The ...d5 Equalizer, 6.Be2 with 8.Re1: The Flexible Rook, 6.g3 Deeper: Meeting 11.Nd5, 6.Be2 Classical — 11.Nd5: Punishing the Central Jump, 6.Bc4 with 7.O-O: The Bg5 Main Line, 7.O-O O-O 8.Be3: The ...Ng4! Recipe, 7.O-O O-O 8.f4?! — Qb6! Wins a Pawn, 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1: The Recipe, Third Door, 6.Bc4 with 7.Be3: Punishing 8.Qd2, 6.Bc4 with 7.Be3: 8.f3 Is Just Chapter 2
• Chapter 4: Anti-Sicilians — When White Dodges the Dragon
  Lines: Moscow Variation — 3.Bb5+, Moscow — 4.a4 (Bishop Holds the Pin), Moscow — 5.O-O (No Maroczy), Alapin — 2.c3, Grand Prix Attack — 2.Nc3 & f4, Grand Prix — 5.Bb5, Closed Sicilian — 2.Nc3 & g3, Wing Gambit — 2.b4, Chekhover: 4.Qxd4, Delayed Alapin: 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3, Alapin: 6.Bc4 and the ...d5 Counter, Grand Prix: The 6.f5 Pawn Sac, 2.b3: The Snyder Sideline, McDonnell Attack: 2.f4 d5!, Morra Declined: 3...Nf6 into the Alapin, KIA Setup vs the Sicilian: 3.g3, Alapin: 4.Nf3 and the ...d6 Liquidation

Free sample: the main line, move by move

• 1. e4 — Open Sicilian begins.
• 1... c5 — Sicilian Defense.
• 2. Nf3 — Develop and prepare d4.
• 2... d6 — Prepare the Dragon — d6 supports e5 and allows the Dragon move g6 on the next move.
• 3. d4 — The key central advance.
• 3... cxd4 — Trade to reach the Open Sicilian.
• 4. Nxd4 — Knight to d4 — Open Sicilian reached.
• 4... Nf6 — Develop the kingside knight and attack e4.
• 5. Nc3 — Defend e4, develop the queenside knight.
• 5... g6 — The Dragon move! Black prepares to fianchetto the bishop to g7. This creates the Dragon formation — one of the most powerful setups in chess. The g7 bishop will dominate the long a1-h8 diagonal.
• 6. Be3 — White plays the Yugoslav Attack setup, developing the bishop to support d4 and preparing queenside castling. This is the most dangerous system against the Dragon.
• 6... Bg7 — The Dragon bishop takes its throne! This fianchettoed bishop is the cornerstone of Black's position — it controls the long diagonal, attacks White's center, and is very hard to neutralize.
• 7. f3 — White prepares g4-g5 by supporting the e4 pawn and making room for the queen on d2. This setup signals the Yugoslav Attack — a direct assault on Black's king.
• 7... O-O — Castle to safety first — this is the repertoire move order, matching every Yugoslav line in Chapter 2.
• 8. Qd2 — White prepares queenside castling (0-0-0). This is the Yugoslav Attack — White will storm with h4-h5 while Black counterattacks on the queenside. The game becomes a race!
• 8... Nc6 — Develop the queenside knight and add pressure to d4. The Yugoslav tabiya is set: Black's counterattack plans are ...d5, ...Bd7 with ...Qa5 and ...Rfc8, and the queenside race.

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